Why do we Fight?
by me-te-aroha
Summary: After the Grounder Battle, Finn and Clarke are together, but its never going to work out. How long will it take Clarke to figure out who she should really be with? Which is Bellamy of course, in case I was being too subtle!
1. The First Argument

Clarke and Finn's first argument was over Bellamy.

It was about 2 weeks after the Grounder Battle. Clarke had been so relieved to see Finn and Bellamy had survived the blast that she decided to throw caution to the wind. The minute she laid eyes on Finn emerging charred and coughing from the tunnel she threw her arms around him and wouldn't let go until a gruff voice behind him said,

"What, so Spacewalker surviving matters more than me? I'm hurt Princess!"

Bellamy got a hug but nothing like the desperate embrace she gave Finn and as soon as he had drunk enough water to stop the coughing she leant in for a long kiss, ignoring the stares of the surviving 100. Bellamy wasn't surprised, even though he found it hard to understand - he knew that something happened between them before Raven arrived and once Finn was single again, it was only a matter of time. He took himself off to check on Raven, who miraculously was still clinging to life.

It had been a day of sorrow and tears but mixed with the odd moment of joy. For a few awful minutes Clarke and the others were convinced that Bellamy and Finn had died and finding them alive seemed like a miracle. Didn't mean they didn't mourn the 37 of their people who died that day. Many graves were dug, but sadly even more bodies weren't found, instead their charred remains mingled with the Grounders who died next to them.

Nobody wanted to rebuild on top of their fallen friends so they decided to move camp closer to the river, in a clearing they had found during hunting trips. They salvaged all they could from the drop ship, practically dismantling it to reuse the metal as walls for huts.

After reuniting with Finn, Clarke's first priority was Raven. She felt they could rely on having at least a few days of peace without threat of attack and she was going to spend that time refusing to let death take another one of her friends. Raven provided another small miracle. The bullet was not in her spine, although frighteningly close. It took all Clarke's willpower to hold it together during the operation to remove it, and then a couple more days of nail-biting waiting for the swelling to go down enough to be sure the surgery itself had not done further damage. They had carefully moved Raven to the new camp and Clarke and Finn had taken turns to sit with her round the clock. Clarke knew she didn't have the skills to fix any internal injuries and could only hope that the bullet hadn't damaged anything vital. They used small doses of Lincoln's anticoagulant along with seaweed poultices and tea but in the end, all they could do was wait.

For three days, Raven remained unresponsive but her pulse was steady and there were no obvious signs of infection. Clarke refused to be anything other than optimistic and even Bellamy bit back his usual pessimistic predictions. On the fourth morning, Raven opened her eyes and began swearing at the pain and Murphy for daring to shoot her. Once she had figured out her surroundings had changed her memory kicked in and she demanded to know exactly what had happened. Clarke and Finn filled her in before Clarke, with her heart in her mouth, asked how her legs were feeling. Raven immediately started wriggling in an energetic manner, her face beaming,

"Clarke, you are as much of a badass as your Mom - you fixed me."

That night, when it was just her and Finn, Clarke wept with relief. Raven had been a sort of talisman for the future - if she got better then perhaps there was hope and deep down Clarke had been terrified she would die.

From that point on, life began to take on a new rhythm of building and hunting and starting life over. Clarke and Bellamy were still in charge but with the smaller number in camp and the trauma they had all been through, everyone seemed closer, more like a family.

Of course, there was one person in camp who would never be family. Anya had jumped on board the dropship at the last minute and owed her life to luck and Clarke. If she had been outside she would have died in the blast and inside the dropship wasn't much safer with a swarm of teenagers surrounding her and trying to kill her. Clarke stopped them, even though Anya had ordered her own execution just the day before. It would take them both a few days to digest the ramifications of that choice. As soon as they stepped out of the dropship it was obvious that all the grounder warriors and reapers who had been standing anywhere near had been killed in the blast. For the first few days after the battle everyone was on edge and they kept a strict watch on their surroundings but nobody appeared.

When they first opened the dropship door they had dragged Anya off with them, spitting and kicking the whole way. It had taken her a few minutes to realise that the ashes she was walking on were all that was left of her people. She let out one spine tingling scream before collapsing in a heap on the ground. They had to carry her to the new camp, where they shackled her in a small hut and left her to her thoughts. Eventually Clarke had dragged herself away from Raven for long enough to check on Anya and with Bellamy's help holding her down they made her drink. Clarke dressed her wounds and tried to talk to her but with no response. Clarke worried that Anya was trying to starve herself to death. Bellamy told her to let the bitch die if that's what she wanted, but Clarke just couldn't do that and eventually it seemed that Anya had made the decision to live. She started accepting food and water and although she wouldn't talk it was obvious that she was alert and observing the camp. Clarke gave her a few more days then, after a talk with Bellamy, she approached the Grounder Princess and sat cross legged on the ground in front of her.

"Anya, this isn't what we wanted. We have lost over half of those who came down to earth with us. You have lost more. All we want is the chance to build a life here, in peace. We tried before to negotiate with you and it didn't work."

At this, Anya's head shot up and she looked as if she would like to speak but her lips folded and no words came out.

"That may have been our fault," continued Clarke, "I know we shot first but you broke the agreement to come without weapons and our people thought they were protecting me."

But things are different now. I don't think any more of our people are coming down, so I can make promises as the leader of our group. We will not attack you, unless you attack us first. We will agree territorial borders and abide by them. You should consider that you are without warriors and no good has come to you through forcing war on us. Let us try and make a future without conflict, for the good of our people and your people. Can you agree to peace?"

Anya finally spoke,

"But peace is weakness unless you kill us all."

Her words suggested aggression but her tone implied a question.

"Not for us" said Clarke, "we believe that showing mercy demonstrates our strength. If we killed the rest of your people we would be killing the innocent. Our history is of a war so terrible we had to leave our home for 100 years. We believe we can do better. If we have to keep fighting then so be it and we will kill every last one of your people if that is the only way we can protect our own. But we think we have demonstrated our strength and now it is time to move on in peace. Your people and our people, separate but in harmony."

Anya was looking completely shell-shocked.

"You do not understand. We are warriors, since we are children we are bought up that we must fight to stay alive."

"And if we agree to peace then no more children need to die."

Anya eyes darted from side to side as she considered this,

"The reapers from this area are dead. Tristan commanded all forces from the ocean to the mountain and they also are dead. The mountain men may come but they have not so far. I cannot answer for the Commander."

"Who is the Commander?"

"He leads all of us - me, Tristan and all peoples north of the mountain."

"If you and I call a truce, will he listen to you?"

" I... do not know" said Anya slowly.

"If we release you, can you take him our terms?"

Anya was silent for a long time. Clarke tried not to look as if her answer mattered as much as it did. Her threats of continued violence were completely hollow. If Anya was set on continued fighting they didn't have a plan B. Finally Anya took a deep breath and said,

"A new life with no fighting. I do not know how to do this but we have buried too many. It may be time to find another way."

"We will send one of our own with you to speak for us. He will treat you as a hostage until terms are agreed but we will end that as soon as possible. Is this agreeable to you?"

"Not agreeable", ground out Anya, her eyes spitting fire at Clarke "but I would do the same."

"You leave at first light." said Clarke before walking away to share her success with Bellamy.

After much discussion it was decided that Bellamy would accompany Anya. Clarke felt that as the more level-headed leader she would be better at negotiating with the Commander but she couldn't deny Bellamy had brute force on his side. Anya seemed to be cooperating but she was dangerous and strong and, although she hated to admit it, Clarke wasn't sure she could control her if it became necessary.

So, 10 days after the battle, as dawn broke, Bellamy set off with Anya to try and secure their future. Bellamy and Clarke both knew the stakes were high and there was a good chance that Bellamy might not even make it back. Clarke put on a brave face as she saw them leave but allowed herself a brief hard hug and a muttered "Don't forget, I need you."

Bellamy gave in to a moment of weakness and dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head when she hugged him before muttering back, "Stay safe, Princess."

Clarke and Finn's first argument started about 5 minutes later. Clarke gave the camp instructions for the day and walked off to the hut that was her new clinic. Finn was waiting for her with lips pursed and arms tightly folded

"You know this is a bad idea, right? It should be me going, not him. He'll probably kill her before they've gone half a day."

"Finn, it had to be him, you know that. Anya is well aware that Bellamy and I are co-leaders and she insisted it had to be one of us, or the Commander would not listen. And I would have gone but she has several more years' battle training and psycho mental conditioning than I do." Finn missed the sarcasm of her last sentence and continued to brood.

"He can't hold his temper and you know it. You can't trust him to negotiate with them."

"But I do, Finn. He knows our lives are at stake and what he needs to do to settle with the grounders. I don't know how you can see what he's done for us over the last few weeks and still think he's not worth trusting!"

"Because you would trust him, before me!" shouted Finn. Clarke was momentarily taken aback. Was Finn jealous? The thought actually annoyed her even more; she might never see Bellamy again and Finn was wasting time on such pettiness.

"He is risking his life for ours!" she yelled back at him. They both glared at each other. Clarke found herself surprised at how angry she was that Finn couldn't understand Bellamy's courage. But she remembered the many occasions Finn and Bellamy had argued. Winding up Spacewalker was one of Bellamy's favourite methods of stress relief so perhaps she was asking too much. She took a deep breath and put one hand on Finn's shoulder.

"It's done now, Finn. Please, I really need you to help me keep things calm and under control here, until we hear from him or..."

She didn't finish the sentence, the words "until we know he's dead" remained unsaid because they were too painful for Clarke to speak out loud. Finn was smart enough to be aware of what she was thinking, although he didn't view Bellamy's untimely demise in quite such a tragic light. He unwrapped his arms and pulled Clarke into a hug, then a gentle kiss. He would never understood what she saw in Bellamy that inspired such trust but with the possibility that Bellamy might never come back there seemed no point arguing further.


	2. The Second Argument

**I have this story pretty much finished and am desperately trying to get the other chapters edited so I can get it all online before the S2 premiere this Wednesday. Cause who knows what will happen then! I am fairly new to writing so would love any comments you may have.**

Clarke and Finn's second argument was over Bellamy which was kind of funny since he wasn't even there.

Three days after Bellamy and Anya had left, Clarke was finding it very hard to keep her temper with pretty much everyone in camp. She had told Bellamy she needed him several times but the last few days had made her aware of just how much she relied on him. The sad fact was that teenage boys did not like taking orders from teenage girls. A number of them were becoming downright rude and definitely insolent. And to make matters worse, many of the teenage girls would do anything to impress the teenage boys, so they became distracted and cheeky as well. It had reached the point where Clarke had been forced to beg Miller for help. She and Miller had never had much to do with each other, as Bellamy's second in command he had always been at Bellamy's side but rarely said much.

Before leaving, Bellamy had told Miller to have Clarke's back but Miller had not been sure quite how to carry out that order. Obviously he could deal with physical violence against her but he knew she liked to fight her own battles and was honestly a bit scared of getting on the wrong side of her by stepping in where he wasn't wanted. So he had stood on the sidelines, watching things go to hell and worrying what his boss would say when he got back. When Clarke appeared at his side asking for a private word he breathed a sigh of relief. Clarke was pleasantly surprised to find that, underneath the beanie, Miller was a boy who was not just loyal, but bright, determined and actually quite funny. Between them they came up with a plan to manage the camp until Bellamy returned, neither of them willing to admit that Bellamy might not be coming back. Plan agreed, they summoned the camp and laid down the rules.

"We have been given a second chance at a life here on Earth." Started Clarke, "but it's not worth anything unless we do it better this time. And for that to happen we all have to work together. I know things are not the same without Bellamy in camp but we knew it was going to take some time before we heard from him. As you know, Miller has worked closely with Bellamy on all aspects of camp management and I am therefore putting him in charge of allocating and supervising day to day chores. I need to spend more time in the clinic and making sure our wounded from the battle are getting all the treatment they need. Miller will be consulting with me daily on any decisions that need to be made and I will continue to be aware of all that happens in camp. Bellamy will be coming back and I'm sure nobody would like him to be disappointed with the state of the camp he comes back to."

Having to make changes was a blow to Clarke's pride. She knew that some of the teenagers would view what she had just said as an admission of failure. But she also realised they would respect Miller as Bellamy's stand-in, if only because they were slightly afraid of him. She hated that fear was a necessary tool in the management of her own people but life on Earth had shown her just how imperfect their brave new world was.

Miller took a step forward,

"Okay, jobs for today; get the wall finished." Groans could be heard from the crowd. "Grounders may not be out there but panthers still are and anyone who moans can do latrine duty as well, for a month. You want Bellamy to come back and see what a half-arsed job you've all done." There were a few mutinous faces but the teenagers remained silent.

Clarke headed for the clinic, keeping her fingers crossed that the new system would work. Peace and quiet lasted for 10 minutes before Finn interrupted her.

"Clarke, what the hell? Since when is Miller in charge?" Clarke was really not in the mood for an argument and made no effort to soften her words.

"Since I told him to step up. Bellamy had already got him on standby and I need his help."

"You couldn't ask me? Or even discuss it with me before announcing it to the whole camp? You made me look like an idiot – can't even trust your own boyfriend."

"Finn, this was not about you. Everyone knows that Miller is close to Bellamy, they work because Bellamy tells them too and they will do what Miller says. They would never do something if you asked them to. And they sure as hell weren't listening to me. Something had to change and Miller was the logical choice."

"Logical choice, right. Like Bellamy was the logical choice to take Anya. It's always about what Bellamy would do isn't it. You will always put his opinions before mine."

Clarke felt like screaming. Not this again.

"It's not about Bellamy and it's not about you. You want my trust but you don't have any faith in me. I am trying so hard to keep everyone together and alive. And to do that, I have to make hard decisions; sometimes it's not even what I want to do. I wanted to run camp by myself while Bellamy was away. I wanted everyone to listen to me and do what we all need them to do but they won't. And I hate that and I hate having to use Miller to intimidate people but if it's the only way to get things done and keep us safe, then that's the choice I will make. And, as my boyfriend, what I need most from you, is you to believe that I am doing the right thing."

Finn let out a deep breath, and with it most of his anger. His frustration remained.

"I can't do that Clarke." He said before leaving the clinic and heading for the woods.

It was dark by the time he returned and Clarke had spent much of the day veering from anger to near tears. She understood it was hard for Finn to accept her relationship with Bellamy but as co-leaders there were times when she had to put her boyfriend second, however much she loved him. Finn had had time to think and although he hated Clarke taking Bellamy's point of view on so many things, he loved Clarke more. He didn't want to lose her and Clarke was more than happy to accept his apology. The make-up sex was amazing and they were both determined to work things out but their argument had stirred up thoughts and feelings in both of them that wouldn't go away.

Clarke had initially been astonished at Finn's apparent jealousy. Had he forgotten how much she and Bellamy had hated each other those first few days on Earth? Sure, they had found ways to work together but it was all for the good of the camp. They had basically been forced to build an alliance and there was definitely trust there now and maybe camaraderie, but nothing romantic; the idea was ludicrous. Or was it? The problem was that Finn's jealousy had started her thinking about Bellamy in a different light. At first, she could have laughed out loud at the idea, but then, having a logical mind she started thinking over reasons it could happen, not just why it wouldn't. First on the list, obviously, was that Bellamy was the best looking guy in camp. After Finn, of course. He'd flaunted his body around often enough for her to have an opinion and you would have been pushed to find fault. The freckles could be seen as a negative by some, she supposed, but they added a sort of childlike vulnerability to a face that could otherwise appear somewhat stern. And much as she loved the gentleness and humour in Finn's wide-eyed gaze, she was not immune to the fire and passion in Bellamy's dark brown eyes. But just because she could recognise he was a good-looking guy didn't mean she was attracted to him and obviously nothing physical had ever happened between them or was ever going to. Then she began to remember the few occasions when he had actually touched her. A hand on her shoulder, his fingers brushing her palm to take something from her; not sexual at all, but ... comforting. Of course, that smirk just made her want to slap him but she hadn't seen that so much recently, more of a quirk of his lip, a sort of half-smile at a shared joke. And when he had smiled, really smiled at her, it took her breath away. And she remembered feeling a little sad that he didn't smile more often.

Clarke kept losing time. She would start doing some mindless task, like rolling bandages, then find 30 minutes later she had finished only two, while her mind was busy on the puzzle that was Bellamy Blake. She really had thought he was a jerk at first but even before their trip to the bunker she had realised he was hiding a lot more beneath his brash exterior. The trip to the bunker had changed everything because she had seen the boy at the core of him. The guy who cared about every person he had hurt, who carried the guilt for things he could not have changed. After the bunker she had begun to see him differently and somewhere along the line he had become someone who mattered to her. Nor could she deny that after 10 days with no word from Bellamy she was consumed by worry and fighting a rising panic inside at the thought she might never see him again.

Every time Clarke snapped back to reality she would shake her head and curse herself. She and Finn had been drawn together from even before they landed. He knew how to make her laugh and she loved him for his idealism, his determination to make things better than the Ark. She wanted that too but they couldn't seem to agree on how. She knew that if Bellamy returned, she would continue to trust him, listen to him and choose his path over Finn's. Could she expect Finn to ever come to terms with that?

Finn's jealousy, on the other hand, was nothing new. Its roots lay back in the first few days on Earth. He had immediately decided that Bellamy was an asshole as they watched him assert his authority over the 100, with the help of his minions. Finn had been happy to remain an outsider, with Clarke at his side, the pair of them against the world, accepting leadership from nobody. Charlotte and Murphy had unwittingly changed the whole structure of the camp. Clarke had stepped up to lead with Bellamy but this was as good as a declaration that Bellamy was the true leader of the 100, something Finn would never agree on. And as Finn's opinions were usually diametrically opposite to Bellamy's, Clarke's co-leader status meant that Clarke often seemed to be siding against him, which hurt. A lot.

Of course by then Raven had landed which totally stuffed things up with Clarke. Finn really hadn't meant to lie. Raven was part of a different life which he thought was gone for good and he had fallen for Clarke quickly and absolutely. He had realised within days that much as he had loved Raven it was nothing like being in love with Clarke; that was a drug he just couldn't give up. One side effect of Raven's arrival was that Clarke no longer paid any attention to what he said and if she ignored him, then Bellamy felt even less inclined to listen. And Finn began to resent Bellamy's influence over everyone, particularly Clarke. He hated what he considered to be reckless decisions made by Bellamy, decisions that Bellamy persuaded Clarke to go along with. But what really fanned the flame inside him was watching them together in their few moments of downtime. Clarke had gone from hate to treating him like a friend, joking with him, making sure his constant injuries were healing properly with a softness she didn't use on everybody. Bellamy had started behaving protectively towards her, calling out any of his cohorts who didn't treat her with appropriate respect. Even making sure she had eaten properly for goodness sake. Of course the biggest insult was the nickname. On that first day, Finn had said "You don't like being called Princess, do you, Princess?" intending to call her that as much as possible. Within days, that bastard Blake had stolen the name, using it as an insult at first. He still used it but it had a part-joking, part-tender quality when he said it now which made Finn want to punch him.

Quite a few of the 100 had crushes on Clarke, which was not surprising, but Finn didn't consider most of them as threats. He was completely, all-in, head-over-heels in love with Clarke so he was hyperaware of how other guys looked at her. And he had watched in disbelief as Bellamy had moved from hate, to respect to something that looked a lot like love. Gentle touches on the shoulder, or the small of the back. Watching her, when she wasn't looking at him. Bellamy had pretty much perfected the tough mask he wore to protect himself but there had been moments when Clarke caught him unawares that the mask had slipped and his face had revealed his true feelings. Clarke hadn't noticed but Finn sure had.

You would think that Finn's jealousy would have vanished when Clarke finally agreed to be with him but if anything it had increased. She was now _his_ girl but Bellamy was still the one she listened to, the one whose opinion she sought. Surely, if she really loved him, she would understand his point of view and try and follow that instead. It felt like Bellamy's influence was right there in their relationship and Finn didn't know how long he could take it.

So, as time went on with no sign of Bellamy, Clarke had begun to realise that her feelings for him were not entirely platonic. And Finn was still hoping his absence would be permanent.


	3. The Third Argument

**24 hours to go to Season 2, beginning to feel a little sick with anticipation. I have finished this story and will upload the final 3 chapters today. Bellamy is still absent in this chapter but he will return soon! Again, any comments/reviews gratefully received. Thank you for reading.**

Finn and Clarke's third argument was about Bellamy even though he still hadn't returned.

Bellamy had been gone for over 2 weeks and Clarke was using all her willpower to hold it together. Miller was working well as Bellamy's surrogate leader and the camp was running smoothly, the rest of the teenagers seemed happy with their reassurances that Bellamy's journey was a long one and he would return in due course. Miller shared Clarke's anxieties but they had agreed to keep them between themselves and not think about alternatives until he had been gone at least a month.

Clarke didn't talk to Finn about her worries, aware that Bellamy was not his favourite topic and keen to avoid further argument. But he could feel the stress in her tense body when he held her and it fed his jealousy more. He might be sleeping with her but she was bringing Bellamy's shadow with her to their bed.

Eventually after a night of lying next to a sleepless Clarke tossing and turning, Finn snapped.

"Just admit it, will you? You're thinking about him, probably dreaming about him too when you are asleep"

Clarke looked at him with wide eyes, unprepared for an attack first thing in the morning,

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not sleeping, you're barely eating. Even when you're with me, you're not really here. You're thinking about him."

"Finn, of course I think about him. He should have been back by now and if he doesn't come back I don't know how I'm going to do things without him. I'm worried and you should be too."

"I should be worried?! That the psycho isn't around to kill more people and train his minions how to terrify their friends? Would it really be so terrible if he didn't come back?"

Clarke was so horrified by Finn's words she was silent for a moment before turning white with anger.

"How dare you," she hissed. "He's saved your life and mine, more than once and he has put himself in danger now for all of us. If he doesn't come back it means there is no peace treaty – have you thought of that? It means we are still at war and the fighting and killing will never stop. So forgive me for being worried." And with that she stalked out of their tent, leaving Finn angry and alone before he headed off in search of the one person he felt would understand.

After their second argument, Finn had turned to the only person he thought might listen to his side; Raven. Things were awkward between them for a while after he and Clarke got together but he had been persistent in keeping tabs on her, concerned about her recovery from the bullet wound. Their long history together meant that the awkwardness soon faded and they had settled into a friendship. Finn was the sort of guy who needed to get things of his chest, rather than keeping them inside and Raven was the only person he trusted, other than Clarke.

Raven was in many ways a contradiction. She was incredibly intelligent but also very street smart which made her perhaps the most formidable person to come down from the Ark. She was confident of her intellect and abilities but prickly when questioned by other people. She was comfortable in her own skin but had a thick protective armour to keep people at arm's length. She projected toughness but had a sweetness underneath that few people saw. She had missed Finn after their break-up. To her, they were more than lovers, they were family and that trumped any romantic relationship. She knew that they seemed an odd couple to some people, and there were many things they disagreed on but they had grown up together and built a bond so strong it could survive arguments and apparently even another woman. Another thing that Raven knew people wouldn't understand was that she wanted him back. She would take friendship for the time being but she hadn't let go of the possibility of more. She was not blind to his faults and she hated his behaviour towards her and Clarke but she knew every part of Finn and he was still the guy she had chosen. Raven was a strong woman and could laugh at the irony that she loved a man who she recognised as being weaker than herself. She saw his faults and took them with the rest of him.

Finn had come to Raven's tent some days after his second argument with Clarke, still burdened by the confusion it had caused in his mind. Raven was a great listener which soothed his soul considerably. She was also wise enough to smooth over his issues without criticising Clarke,

"Look Finn, I can see Clarke's point of view. You know all she cares about is keeping us together and alive. And if that means taking Bellamy's way then she'll do it. Maybe if you give things some time to settle down, have some distance from the battle, she'll loosen up a bit and take on board some of the things you're saying."

"But what about Bellamy, I know he wants her."

"He probably does, but then he wants ever girl in camp. That's the ones he hasn't had already. I don't see Clarke going for a manwhore like him."

"Really?" said Finn hopefully.

"Absolutely" said Raven, thinking to herself, "hmmm, I wonder if I'm right about that?" She also kept quiet her own history with Bellamy, Finn really didn't need to know about their one night, or at least, not yet. Realistically she didn't think Clarke would start following Finn's agenda anytime soon but he needed to think she might. All in all, Raven thought there might be a few cracks appearing.

That was the first of a number of conversations Finn and Raven had about Clarke and Bellamy. After their third argument, Raven decided that her best option was to say very little at all, just make soothing noises and allow Finn to have a place he could vent. She felt a little bad, because she had come to really like Clarke so she decided she would take no actions to help end the relationship but providing a shoulder for Finn to cry on was probably not stepping over the line too far. She'd also done some subtle digging into how Clarke might feel about Bellamy and was beginning to think there might be something there.


	4. Fourth and Final Argument

**Bellamy finally returns! I thought the end of Season 1 was leading to a Clarke/Finn relationship and if it does, I hope something like my story happens, where she eventually realises they just aren't on the same page and there is a far more suitable candidate right there! I have probably made Finn more of a dick than he actually is but its just too easy! Am changing the rating for sexual content (although not very explicit).**

Three and a half weeks after Bellamy had walked out of camp with Anya, he walked back in alone, bedraggled and exhausted but with good news – they had a peace treaty. If they kept to the south of the river, the grounders would not attack. Even better, if 3 months went by without transgressions on either side, they would consider a trade agreement as well.

He was welcomed back to camp enthusiastically, with a big party and lots of moonshine. Raven, in a moment of inspiration, stayed close to his side and did her best to make him laugh, ensuring that Finn and Clarke got a good look at the pair of them. Finn was surprised at the pang it caused him, watching Raven put her hand on Bellamy's knee and seeing him laughing down at her. Clarke told herself that the unpleasant feelings she was experiencing were on behalf of Finn having to watch his ex-girlfriend flirting so shamelessly. Bellamy was a little surprised at Raven's enthusiastic response to his return but she made no effort to follow him to his tent so he let his thoughts drift to the hug Clarke had given him and the tears he has seen in her eyes as he held her close. It's safe to say that although Bellamy and Raven slept alone, they probably slept better than Clarke or Finn.

In the following days Finn visited Raven even more often and she was careful to mention Bellamy frequently and assume a certain air of distraction. Clarke avoided Bellamy wherever possible and kept any conversations to a bare minimum which did confuse Bellamy considerably, as the only person in the quartet completely unaware of the hidden undercurrents.

Clarke and Finn's fourth and final argument was, of course, over Bellamy which was ironic since they were both in agreement that Bellamy had behaved like a dick.

Finn found her in the clinic, clearing up after fixing another minor but bloody injury.

"Did you know he slept with her", Finn said, without preamble. Clarke blinked, taken aback.

"You're gonna need to be more specific."

"Bellamy. Bellamy slept with Raven. Did you know?"

"What, no way!"

Finn launched into a rant about Bellamy taking advantage of Raven when she was vulnerable but Clarke didn't really hear him. The world had started spinning slightly and she thought she might be sick. Bellamy and Raven, that was ... unexpected. Sensible Clarke stepped up to take back control of her subconscious. It might be unexpected but it was still none of her business and really didn't matter to her in the slightest. She tuned Finn back in.

"Hold on a sec, who told you?" Maybe it was all a misunderstanding.

"Raven. She didn't want to but I could tell something was up." 

"What are you trying to say Finn. That he forced her?"

"No! But he knew we'd broken up and he probably got her drunk or something where she didn't know what she was doing. And you know when they were together? The day the Grounders took us. Unbelievable isn't he. Such a hero. You and me are facing death and he's screwing my girlf... ummm, ex-girlfriend."

Clarke was too busy recovering from this additional information to worry about his slip-up. She'd been taken by force and had to watch a little girl die because she couldn't save her. She'd killed a man for goodness' sake and during one of the most awful days of her life, Bellamy was screwing Raven. Her imagination kept flashing her unwanted, technicolour pictures of Bellamy, shirtless, removing Raven's clothes. Those hands stroking Raven's body. His mouth on Raven's... She shook her head vigorously. Really none of her business.

"They didn't know what was happening to us." She said, all logic.

"No, but..."

"and I really can't see Raven being forced into anything she didn't want."

"Normally, maybe, but..."

"Finn," she broke in sharply, "it's really not our concern. They're both single adults, if they want to have... fun ... together, that's up to them. Why do you care?"

"Because I know Raven, this is just not something she would do in her right mind."

"Lots of other girls have."

"Raven is not like them. I can't believe you are trying to defend him!"

"I am not defending him" said Clarke, stung by that accusation. "But Raven is a big girl, why are you trying to find excuses for her"

The conversation continued to unravel as the decibels went up. Soon a small crowd gathered outside the clinic. It didn't take long for Bellamy to be drawn to the commotion and the gist of their argument caused his eyebrows to shoot up and a slight smirk appear. He had been wondering what would happen when they found out but hadn't anticipated it would lead to this argument. He had been a little worried about how Clarke would react but if it led to her realising what an idiot Spacewalker was, that was all to the good. However, he didn't really want the whole camp gossiping about his sex life, being unaware that he had already provided the camp with plenty to talk about in that regard.

He dismissed the crowd with a few well chosen words, pushed into the clinic and stood, arms crossed, glowering at the pair of them.

"What the hell is going on!" he demanded.

"As if you didn't know" yelled Finn. "I knew you were an asshole but I didn't think you would stoop so low."

"If you mean, having sex with your ex-girlfriend, I think Raven might take exception to that term" Bellamy spat back.

"What did you do to get her into your bed?"

Bellamy had gone into the clinic intending to end their argument but accusing him of forcing a girl? No way he was taking that. He moved forward into Finn's space, his hands clenching at his sides.

"You have some nerve, Spacewalker. I've never had to lie to get a girl to sleep with me."

His inference was lost on neither of his audience. Finn opened his mouth to retort but Clarke had reached her limit. She pushed between the two of them placing a hand on each and forcing them apart.

"Enough!" she yelled, before turning to Finn. "Finn, go take a walk, clear your head."

Finn's jaw dropped. She was dismissing _him_, when it was all Bellamy's fault. He barged out of the clinic, shoving Bellamy as he walked past.

Clarke sat heavily on the table and sighed, not looking at Bellamy. He watched her uncertainly for a minute.

"Clarke? Y'okay?"

She slowly raised her eyes to his.

"Yes" she said. But her eyes didn't agree.

"Can I explain?" he asked

"Explain!" she snorted. "There's nothing to explain, Bellamy. You had sex with Raven. You're both free agents who can do what they like. End of explanation."

She didn't move so Bellamy walked over and sat beside her on the table.

"I didn't say it was a good explanation"

Clarke shook her head in exasperation but waved her hand in a "continue" gesture. Bellamy took a breath.

"She came to me. She thought... we thought ... that you and Finn were together. I honestly tried to make her leave but then she took her clothes off and... yeah, okay it's a lame explanation, I know. And I'm an asshole. She wanted a revenge fuck, needed to forget about Finn for a minute and I wanted to forget ... everything for a while. Pretty sure it didn't work for either of us. And then we found out that you were missing."

His voice had been getting softer and his words slower until it was just a broken whisper.

"And I hate myself for that. That I was getting laid by a girl I don't even like while you were..." his voice trailed off completely, eyes fixed on the ground.

" 'She took her clothes off', seriously, Bellamy. That's the best you've got?!" There was a hint of a smile in her voice but he could hear the weight behind it and knew he had hurt her.

They sat in silence for a minute and then Clarke lent into him, shoulder to shoulder.

"Bellamy. Bellamy, look at me."

He raised his eyes to hers and she marvelled once again at how they changed everything about him. So often they were cold and cruel and he seemed like the monster he thought he was. But at times like this, when he let the walls down, the vulnerability in them was heartbreaking.

"Maybe you should get a lock on your tent" she joked, raising a crooked smile from him. He was still gazing at her intently.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I know" she whispered back.

The moment was broken by Miller bumping his way into the clinic clutching a bleeding hand. Bellamy shot to his feet and with a mumbled excuse left the room. Clarke watched him leave with a frown on her face, not entirely sure what had just happened between them.

When Finn returned that evening, they took a long walk together and came back as single people, both saddened that they couldn't make it work between them but in harmony that they were just too different. Finn went straight to Raven's tent when they got back to camp and Raven said all the right things and went so far as to give him a hug, just to remind him what her body felt like next to his. Clarke did what she did best; worked harder.

It was a week later, just dark, when Bellamy found her in the clinic refolding the bandages yet again. He knew she had been avoiding him and following her break-up with Finn and the rumours that swirled around camp about why, he had a better understanding of what was going on. Plus, Raven had taken it upon herself to have a little chat with him. Finn was not the only person who had noticed his eyes following Clarke and Raven thought that giving him a push in the right direction might be helpful for all concerned, not least herself. She hadn't meant to tell anyone about her night with Bellamy but Finn had guessed and it actually looked like things had turned out for the best.

It had taken Bellamy several days to work up the courage to confront Clarke but when he became aware of just how unnecessary most of her busywork was, he realised that maybe he wasn't the only one with something on his mind. As he walked into the clinic he told himself it was just concern for her wellbeing. Of course, that didn't explain why his heart was beating faster. He leant against the doorframe with crossed arms, watching her. She looked thinner and her face was pale and drawn. Bellamy kicked himself mentally, he should have been keeping an eye on her, making sure she wasn't doing too much.

"Clarke" he said

"Hmmm?" she responded, trying to keep things casual. He walked over to where she was and put one hand on her shoulder as he repeated her name. The contact shocked her and she whirled round, nearly knocking him over. He steadied them both with a hand on her other shoulder. There was barely any distance between them. Clarke was looking up at him with eyes wide and breathing slightly unsteady.

"Clarke," he said for the third time, "what's going on".

"What do you mean?" she replied. He gave her a look, the one that said "bullshit" and she sighed and looked away. His hands slid down from her shoulders to her elbows, which he cupped as his thumbs gently rubbed circles over her jacket.

"Tell me," he said quietly

Clarke looked back up at him and the beautiful blue was clouded with unshed tears.

"I don't cry" she said through gritted teeth as one tear made its way down her cheek.

"I know Princess," he said with a slight smile, bringing up one hand to wipe away the tear, "but it's just me here and you never care what I think."

That got an almost laugh, slightly swallowed by a sob and suddenly Clarke leaned right into him, hiding her face in his jacket. A lifetime with Octavia meant that Bellamy was probably the only guy in camp who wasn't terrified by a crying girl. He wrapped his arms around Clarke and held her tight, resting his head lightly on top of hers. With one hand he stroked her hair until her sobbing subsided and she drew back, wiping her nose on her sleeve in a very unprincesslike fashion.

"Is this about Finn?" he asked tentatively, receiving a snort in reply.

"No, Finn and I were definitely not meant to be. I'm pretty sure he and Raven are working their way back together and good luck to them. I'm guessing she hasn't jumped you lately?!"

The last comment was supposed to be sarcastic but the jealousy she had felt since she found out about the two of them crept into it. Bellamy frowned in surprise; so it still bothered her. That had to be a good thing for him, right?

"So, if it's not Finn, what's the problem."

"Everything is the problem" she whispered. "Everything. I'm barely 18 years old and I'm a surrogate mother to 50 kids nearly the same age as me. I thought peace with the grounders would solve everything but they still get injured, they still get sick and they still look at me as if I have all the answers. And there's no one coming to help us."

Bellamy pulled her back into his chest with his arms around her.

"I hear ya Princess", he mumbled into her hair. "But you're not doing this alone," he put a hand on her chin and tilted it up so she was looking at him, "you have to talk to me, you have to take some time, something for yourself"

"Is that what you're doing with a different girl every night?" said Clarke, deciding to jump straight to the one thing that really bothered her about him.

His mouth clenched into a tight line.

"You haven't been paying attention Clarke, there haven't been any girls for a while; none since we moved camp."

Clarke stared back at him, seeing the truth in his face. His hand came up to stroke her jaw and smooth her hair away from her face as he looked down at her intently.

"There's only one girl I need," he whispered before lowering his mouth to hers.

Bellamy had never kissed a girl like that before. He'd always thought he had skills in that area but kissing was usually a means to an end and it had never previously included that magic ingredient; love. Clarke's experience was more limited but enough to register that this kiss was mind-blowing and perhaps Finn needed more practice.

Eventually they drew back, breathless, and then leant back in for a second, third, fourth, fifth kiss. Somewhere around the third kiss, things heated up, with tongues exploring each others, and Bellamy's hands making their way under Clarke's shirt. By the fifth kiss, Clarke had removed Bellamy's shirt and he had picked her up and placed her on the table. His hands were on the hem of her shirt, moving it up her body as he lowered his mouth to kiss her neck. She gasped at the sensation and he immediately froze, looking down at her.

"Clarke?" he questioned softly. Her eyes blazed back at him,

"Don't stop. Please!" A rare, beautiful smile spread across his face as he pulled her shirt off and gazed down at her.

"You are so beautiful," he breathed, moving one hand behind her back to unsnap her bra. She rolled her eyes at the ease with which he accomplished the task, his experience showing.

"Manwhore", she whispered.

"Your manwhore", he replied grinning back at her shamelessly and then with one hand in her hair he brought her in for a sixth kiss and moved a hand to cup her naked breast.

Miller paused at the closed door to the clinic. He had come by for Clarke to check his injured hand but the noises from inside indicated she was busy. And he was smart enough to recognise who was keeping her occupied. Finally, he smiled to himself before finding a nearby tree to lean on. Close enough to warn off anyone else, but far away enough he wouldn't have to hear anything he couldn't unhear later.


End file.
